Saying Goodbye to a Boerboel, Africanis or Local Cross

The local dog

Africanis and mixed local dogs are often the healthiest and longest-lived dogs in the country — genuinely hardy, frequently reaching 14 or 15 with minimal veterinary intervention. When decline comes it is usually straightforward old age: arthritis, kidney function, failing sight and hearing, and gradual weight loss.

Boerboels are different

Boerboels carry the giant-breed pattern: hip and elbow dysplasia, cardiac disease, bloat risk, and a working life that frequently ends by nine or ten. Their size makes every part of the end-of-life process harder and more expensive, and it is worth planning before you need to.

Cremation costs

A mid-size Africanis at 18–25kg runs roughly R1,900–R3,100 for individual cremation with ashes returned. A Boerboel at 60–90kg runs R3,000–R5,500. Communal is R600–R2,200 across that range. Collection R300–R900.

Cost should never be the reason

If the price is out of reach, phone your local SPCA before you let a dog suffer. They provide humane euthanasia at low or no cost for people who cannot pay, and that is exactly what the service exists for. Nobody there will judge you for asking.